Many mountains are discovering that switching to LEDs does not reduce energy bills . Although operating energy may be significantly lowered, the unique nature of LED drivers (ballasts) and their propensity to waste energy as heat can actually increase particular electricity billing categories. Much depends upon the electric utility’s billing . This is by no means universal . It is imperative to fully investigate how your electricity is provided and charged . There are five usual categories the include: 1) Delivery Charge 2) Consumption/usage 3) Peak versus off-peak rates 4) Demand Charge 5) Power Quality (power factor) surcharge From these categories, there are additional fees associated with peak and off-peak demand, seasonal rate adjustments, and load variability. The following is an example of using the artificial intelligence (AI ) ChatGPT to inquire about how LEDs can impact electrical charges. Given this tool, the more information provided to the AI platform, the better the decision. Actual electric bills can be inputted for analysis related to changing lighting infrastructure. This is an actual inquiry you can perform : Question: If I changed from 1,000W pulse-start metal halide flood lamps to 600W LED floods in order to save energy and money, what should happen to my utility bill considering all factors including wattage, power factor and in-rush current? Summary: Switching from 1,000W pulse-start metal halide (MH) flood lamps to 600W LED floods should significantly lower your utility bill, but the savings might not be as high as you'd expect if you don’t account for power factor, in-rush current, and demand charges. Here's a breakdown of what’s going on. Answer: 1. Lower Wattage = Lower Energy Consumption (kWh) • ✅ Advantage: A direct drop from 1,000W to 600W per fixture equals a 40% reduction in input power.
If you had, say, 10 fixtures:
•
o Old setup: 10 x 1,000W = 10,000W (10kW)
o New setup: 10 x 600W = 6,000W (6kW)
Over 100 hours of use:
o
Old: 1,000 kWh
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